Promotion is the goal as Boycott takes over the reins

Boycott, who has been appointed club president in succession to Raymond Illingworth, said Yorkshire have to climb out of Division Two to ensure they go into 2013 – their 150th anniversary year – with a chance of winning the Championship outright.

His comments follow one of the worst seasons in the club’s history, with Yorkshire having finished second-bottom of the Championship First Division, second-bottom of their CB40 group and fourth-bottom of their Twenty20 section.

“Yorkshire have to get promoted this year,” said Boycott, who will serve a fixed two-year term as president. “It has to be uppermost in everyone’s minds – the players, the coaches, everybody.

“Winning promotion in the Championship is the only thing that matters because in 2013 it’s our 150th anniversary, and in our anniversary year we should be striving to win the Championship. We can’t do that in the Second Division, so we have to get out of it.”

Boycott’s comments echo those of club chairman Colin Graves, who has been equally candid about Yorkshire’s position.

Like Graves, Boycott believes too many players have let the club down.

“It’s alright talking about potential and the amount of good young players we have, but those players have to perform,” he added. “Last year, some of them didn’t perform; they let themselves down and they let the club down.

“There’s no doubt about that in my mind; you just have to look at the facts and figures.

“That has to stop this year and they have to get promoted because the members want it and the members deserve it.”

Boycott, 71, was speaking at Yorkshire’s annual meeting at Headingley Carnegie on Saturday, where the county’s members voted overwhelmingly to endorse the board’s decision to nominate him as president.

Despite winter-long attempts by former Yorkshire players such as Bob Appleyard and Richard Hutton to prevent it happening, Boycott received widespread support.

The proxy vote was 1,115 in his favour with just 109 against, while Boycott’s nomination drew loud approval from the 400-strong audience.

Only three people raised their hands in objection, while Boycott showed what the presidency meant to him by making a flying visit to attend the meeting en route from his home in South Africa to Sri Lanka, where he will be commentating on the Test series that was due to start this morning.

“The presidency is a wonderful honour for me,” he added. “Yorkshire cricket has been my life; it means a hell of a lot.

“As a president of America once said, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. But I believe I have an understanding with the Yorkshire members and they with me.”

Boycott’s presidency comes 50 years after he first represented Yorkshire as a player.

In a glittering career, the legendary opener scored 48,426 first-class runs with 151 hundreds.

“I first came to Yorkshire as an 11-year-old in 1952,” he recalled. “I sat on some wooden benches at the Kirkstall Lane end and watched Freddie Trueman terrorise the Indians on the famous occasion when the scoreboard read 0-4.

“Since then, I’ve been a player, a captain, a committeeman and a board member.

“I’ve done everything at Yorkshire apart from be the gate-man and the groundsman.”

As one of sport’s most outspoken figures, Boycott’s reign will not be prosaic.

He will continue to express forthright views – both within the club and through his work in the media.

“I have personal opinions, strong opinions, but I will not apologise for what I am,” he said. “I think I understand cricket, I know the game, I love it, it’s been my life, it’s been my passion. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with speaking out for what you believe.

“I don’t deliberately go out of my way to cause controversy or to deliberately upset anyone, but I won’t apologise for putting my beliefs and views forward because I think I know what I am talking about.”

Boycott said he hoped to attend as many games as possible and revealed he had already booked his hotel for a match at Scarborough.

He added he had no intention of shutting himself away in the Carnegie Pavilion and promised to be a visible presence.

“I don’t just want to be sat in the pavilion in the Hawke Suite,” he added. “I will also sit with the members because they voted for me, they’ve always supported me and I’m very grateful to them.

“I know most of the members by sight and they know me.

“I have a lot of time for them and I am looking forward to seeing as many of them as possible.”

Under club rules, the president has to come off the board, with Boycott having been replaced in that capacity by former England captain and Yorkshire batsman Michael Vaughan.

Yorkshire director Robin Smith predicted Boycott would be a splendid ambassador in his new role.

“I am sure Geoffrey will continue to be outspoken in his views on cricket and we would expect nothing less,” he said. “But his job is to unite the club and I know he will do that very well.

“Geoffrey is renowned and respected throughout the world for his cricketing opinions.

“He creates enormous goodwill for Yorkshire and Headingley through his broadcasting work and he is a very loyal Yorkshireman.”

Key points from Yorkshire’s AGM

Geoffrey Boycott appointed president for a two-year term in succession to Raymond Illingworth (proxy vote – 1,115 for, 109 against).

Former England captain and Yorkshire batsman Michael Vaughan co-opted on to the Yorkshire board (no vote taken in this case).

Joe Sayers named vice-captain to Andrew Gale for the coming season.

Ex-Yorkshire and England all-rounder Richard Hutton, son of Sir Leonard, appointed an honorary life member (proxy vote – 1,155 for, 69 against).

Steve Denison elected on to the club board (proxy vote – 1,203 for, 21 against).

Dr Keith Howard appointed an honorary life member (proxy vote – 1,201 for, 23 against).

Charlotte Evers elected on to the members’ committee (proxy vote – 1,271 for, 49 against).